What does my poor Razor tang have?

Aquarist76 · Jul 29, 2019

I've had this awesome razor tang for about 8wks. Got him off LADD. Ever since he arrived it seemed like he had a fine layer of white dots on him. I've seen ich and velvet on tangs and it looked a bit different. I thought maybe flukes but wasn't sure so treated broad spectrum. I treated with several courses of Furan 2 and API General Cure in the water and Metroplex/Kanaplex/Focus in the food. For awhile it seemed like it had gone away, but now the last several days has come back with a vengeance and is affecting his eyes and he's not eating much. Because of the eyes I'm thinking flukes. I did a fresh water dip and some mucus and white stuff came off but nothing I could really ID as flukes. I'm starting him up on the above treatments but didn't know if I should try anything different. I didn't want to start copper if it's flukes.

HotRocks · Jul 29, 2019

That is velvet brother.

I would start copper or CP ASAP. What kind of copper do you have on hand?

4FordFamily · Jul 29, 2019

+1 on velvet!

Aquarist76 · Jul 30, 2019

Really? OK. I've never seen velvet so indolent. I have cupramine and copper power. Given I also have a Red Velvet wrasse and a few basslets in that tank I was planning on starting copper power. They don't seem affected but since they've been exposed I'll have to treat them as well.

Would velvet affect the eyes like that? The white spot in the eye looked like a fluke to me. Also today I noticed some more fine black dots on him so I was thinking he may have black ich as well. Oh boy!

I will start the copper power when I get home today. How quickly should I ramp it up?

Thx

HotRocks · Jul 30, 2019

Aquarist76 said:
Really? OK. I've never seen velvet so indolent. I have cupramine and copper power. Given I also have a Red Velvet wrasse and a few basslets in that tank I was planning on starting copper power. They don't seem affected but since they've been exposed I'll have to treat them as well.

Would velvet affect the eyes like that? The white spot in the eye looked like a fluke to me. Also today I noticed some more fine black dots on him so I was thinking he may have black ich as well. Oh boy!

I will start the copper power when I get home today. How quickly should I ramp it up?

Thx

Velvet almost always affects the eyes when there is that kind of coverage.

It's no surprise that the other fish aren't symptomatic yet. Tangs have a very thin mucus layer. So they are more succeptable.

I would start copper power. I'd go ahead and dose the tank to 1.5ppm immediately. Then ramp over the next couple days to 2.0ppm.